Prestbury Cheshire. Annotated photographs by Oliver Wood
There are a lot more photos in my Flickr Prestbury Set
The following pages contain assorted "visual musings" on
Prestbury and surrounding areas. A highly varied and atmospheric landscape is one
of the most enthralling aspects of this part of Cheshire ranging from the open
lowlands of Chelford to the dramatic wilderness of the Peak District. A veritable
patchwork indeed, and all of it steeped in unique qualities of ancient rural
folk-law and early industrial era whimsy.
The following pages also include details of the famous StPeter's church which forms both the geographical and cultural hub of the Prestbury community, with its unique Norman chapel satellite (almost 1000 years old) StPeters is one of Cheshire’s most notable Norman artefacts and the largest parish church in the county.
Some of my Prestbury Related Movies.
Impressions of Prestbury.
Here you can see a handful of my short impressionistic movies
all shot on a low grade point and shoot camera. The idea was simply to convey
something of a personal sense of the atmosphere of Prestbury. But starting with a
special mini film made with my friend Mr Nuttall hoisting the St George's cross up
the flagpole atop St Peters for St George's day. We decided to do an apt homage to
English radicals.
Prestbury Priest's House May 2009
Here is a more up-to-date photo of the Nat West bank building or former Jacobean Priest's House in the centre of Prestbury village. The old paving and cobbling throughout Prestbury is a very attractive and notable feature.
Hare Hill. June 2007
Hare Hill Gardens is an NT property close to Prestbury and
Mottram St Andrew. It is one of my favourite local places. A large and secluded
walled garden forms the centrepiece and it can at times feel very mysterious.
Hare Hill. June 2007
Another view of one of the wire men on horseback sculptures.
Both of these images were shot with a Nikon D80 and have been intentionally over
saturated.
Prestbury phone Box. April 2007
Prestbury has managed to maintain its vintage GPO era
telephone box. The ‘Routemaster' of road side furniture and a British design
icon which is steadily becoming rarer.
Spirit of Mr Nuttal. Feb 2007
Priests House hanging-basket. July 2004
Hanging baskets seem to be one of the village's trademarks.
This year they are particularly spectacular and colourful. This one hangs at the
entrance to the Jacobean "priests house" now the village branch of Natwest Bank.
The Mid and East Cheshire lowlands are renowned for a wealth of Tudor and Jacobean
heritage. Three other notable examples include Adlington Hall, Gawsworth Hall, and
Capesthorne Hall, and all are within a short distance of Prestbury. There are a
number of large and secluded private residences in the vicinity of the village that
are also notable artifacts from the Tudor and Jacobean eras.
Prestbury High Street. June 2006
This is a more up to date view of the Jacobean ‘Priests
House’, ‘Church House’ (in the foreground), and the main part of
the village. The baskets are not quite as spectacular as 2004 but the rather
attractive barrel tubs are a pleasant new addition.
The Old School House. June 2006
The building that is now home to the village branch of RBS,
Bridgfords and a very small library was at one time a village school house. The
twelve plates on the left hand side wall indicate Prestbury’s impressive
track record as a winner of the ‘best kept village award’.
A weavers house, Prestbury. June 2006
Many buildings in Prestbury have connections with
Macclesfield’s famous silk industry and were home to weavers and other
textile workers. These uncharacteristically large windows were designed to
facilitate the intricate work and provide as much light as possible. There is also
a nice shadow cast by one of the village’s new street lamps.
Butley Cottage, Prestbury. June 2006.
Butley Cottage is just outside the Village centre and despite all of the problems with traffic, it still retains that unique rural Cheshire ambience evoking a sense of Prestbury's quiet and remote past. The history of this building is quite well documented. John Swallow lived here for forty years and further historical information on Butley's past can be found on his website.
White Nancy, Bollington. Aug 2004
White Nancy is perched on top of Kerridge Hill over looking
Bollington and commands a spectacular 270-degree view across the Peak District and
the Cheshire planes. This picture was taken on a very hot day, but it is so high up
that even the sub stratospheric Sirius cloud appears quite low in the sky. It is a
highly energised place, and fantastic after dark (if you are brave enough to be up
there!) you can look down on the entire expanse of Macclesfield, Bollington, and
Manchester in the far distance and all marked out as extraordinary pools of light.
I have not yet seen a "black triangular UFO", stalking "panther like" creatures, or
encountered ritualistic neo-pagans but here's hoping. You're actually more likely
to encounter a local tagging crew with bags of spray paint.
Waulkmill Falls Aug 2004
It's not Niagara and its not all natural but it is quite an
interesting spot. This 'water fall' (or is it a weir?) is hidden away on the East
side of Kerridge Hill where the River Dean is partially culverted on its way to
Ingersley Clough. The river provided power for the now disused dye works at
Ingersley and there is plenty of evidence of man-made manipulations on its
course.
Rainow "Scarecrows" July 2005
In July the village of Rainow in the foot hills of the Peak
District and not far from Prestbury hosts a festival where
everyone decorates houses, gardens, and verges, with curious mannequins. Some are
set into thematic tableau's, and others seem to represent situations from real life
such as resting hill walkers and runners. The villagers' refer to these meta humans
as "scarecrows".
New Road, Prestbury. Oct 2005
New Road from Bridge Green. Part of The tallest building in
this shot was once a cricket togs shop jointly owned by Tim Hudson and Ian Botham.
Its eccentric qualities (which included a huge esoteric name board and red, gold,
and green, rendering) became almost synonymous with the colourful and vaguely
bohemian character of Prestbury during its 70s heyday as a retreat for flamboyant
meritocrats and celebrities. The village was also famous for its privately owned
Off License selling an unusual and exotic array of beverages, plus a proper local
produce grocer. Now unfortunately all replaced by run of the mill chain
stores.
New Rd into Bollin Grove - Nov 2007
Looking across the river to the cottages on New Road. The
radical variation in the roofline is typical of Prestbury. The cottages along here
were built at different times and some where modified to accommodate various
activities such as weaving and other agrarian crafts. It is a reminder of the
lively artisan community that was once a feature of the village.
Random Elements
This is a closer view of the window in the above photo. A randomly selected image from the more 'artistic' interpretations in my flickr Prestbury set.
Bridge Hotel, Prestbury. Oct 2005
This building was originally a farm dating from 1626, many of
the other white buildings in the village date from the late 17th to mid 18th
century. I think it was converted into a hotel in the 1950s but many of the
original features still predominate inside.
Ford House. July 2000
New Road, Prestbury. December 2000
We had quite heavy snow falls and frosts during the Christmas week. The restaurant that used to be Thymes is now called The Watermark (the sign is rather over exposed) its quite attractive and contemporary, but I have always thought that Thymes slightly bohemian cosy den like feel suited that building very well, Geof Leigh Ford's monkey murals were quite amusing.
All photos © 2009 Oliver Wood Photography